The apartment felt suffocating. Mimi sat at the edge of the bed, the divorce papers spread out before her like a cruel reminder of all the rules that had trapped her. Her pen hovered over the signature line, trembling, but she couldn't bring herself to finish.
Chi-Chi's soft breathing from his crib was a faint comfort, but even he couldn't calm the storm raging inside her. Her chest ached—not from exhaustion, but from the weight of a secret she could no longer bear alone.
Rian was away on another business trip, the perfect silence stretching between them like a taut wire. And in that silence, Mimi realized she could no longer lie—not to him, not to herself.
Her hands shook as she signed the papers. The ink felt heavy on the page, a mark of inevitability. But alongside the divorce papers, she wrote another letter. One that poured out everything she had kept hidden: the pregnancy, the fear, the impossible love she could never speak aloud. Every word was a confession and a plea, though she didn't know if he would forgive her—or even understand.
By the time the letter was done, her resolve had hardened. She couldn't stay. Every corner of the apartment whispered memories she wasn't ready to face, and every shadow seemed to carry his presence. Mimi grabbed her bag, packed only the essentials for herself and Chi-Chi, and took one last look around the apartment that had once been her sanctuary.
The streets outside were quiet, the night air cool against her flushed cheeks. She pulled Chi-Chi close, feeling his small arms wrap around her neck instinctively. "We're leaving, little one," she whispered, her voice trembling but firm. "No more hiding. No more waiting."
Her heart ached with every step she took away from the life she had known—and from Rian—but she couldn't stay silent any longer. The contract, the rules, the fear of losing him… they no longer held the same power.
Somewhere in the distance, the city lights blurred, and Mimi felt the strangest mixture of fear and relief. For the first time in months, maybe years, she was making a choice for herself. For her son. For a life where secrets didn't rule them.
She left the apartment unlocked, leaving behind the divorce papers and the letter on the kitchen counter—her truth waiting for him, a message he would find when he returned.
And as she disappeared into the night with Chi-Chi pressed close, Mimi felt the weight of hiding lift just slightly. It wouldn't be easy. Nothing about what came next would be simple. But at least now… at least now, she was free.